Link conveying belt



Jan. 26, 1954 P. H. DAVIS LINK CONVEYING BELT Filed June 8, 1949 Gtfomeg51%, H n Dav/5 fia zow m Fill! Patented Jan. 26, 1954 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE LINK CONVEYING BELT Patrick Henry Davis, Erie, Pa.,assignor to Champion Dish Washing Machine Company, Erie, Pa.-, acorporation of Pennsylvania Application June 8, 1949, Serial No. 97,883

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to link conveying belts and moreparticularly to a link conveying belt for a dish washing machine tocarry dishes, trays, and the like in an upright position through thewashing and rinsing fluid sprays in the machine.

In the operation of the conventional link type of dish washing machineconveyor, the dishes, trays, etc. lie fiat with their major surfacesexposed to the direct impingment of the upper and lower sprays. Thisaffords good efficiency and thoroughness in cleaning but retards thedrying of the dishes, trays, etc. after their exit from the machine. Ithas been found that drying of the dishes, trays, etc. is much more rapidupon their exit from the machine if they are set on edge during theirpassage through the machine.

Attempts have been made to hold the dishes, trays, etc. on edge as theytravel through a dish washing machine by providing a series of verticalpegs mounted in rows on lateral cross bars that are tied closelytogether onto the traveling chains of the conveyor belt. This type ofbelt precludes eifective action of any spray from underneath thereof andit is not unusual in machines of this type to eliminate the lower sprayentirely because of its inefiective action. For best washing effects ondishes, trays, etc., all surfaces of the articles to be cleaned must beexposed to the direct force of the wash and inse jets disposed above andbelow the upper side of the belt. The prior belts with lateral crossbars cannot be used effectively to produce this result. These belts arecumbersome and their component parts have a comparatively shorter life.

It is, accordingly, an object of my invention to provide a link typebelt for a dish washing machine with upwardly extending dish supportingmembers thereon which is simple in construction, economical in cost,economical in manufacture, and efiicient in operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide upwardly extendingsupporting members on a link belt for a dish washing machine whichpermits spraying of plates or the like thereon from above and below thebelt with a minimum of obstruction.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel link conveyor beltfor a dish washing machine which supports plates, trays, and the like inan upwardly extending tilted position by means of longitudinally spaced,transversely extending, horizontal dowels that permit practicallyunrestricted access of the upper and lower wash and. rinse sprays toboth sides of the utensils supported thereon.

Another object of my invention is to provide an endless dish rackwhereby the horizontally disposed, transversely extending dowels and theopen bottom afforded by the link belt will hold the dishes, trays, etc.at exactly the same position as in the conventional style of dish rackin a dish washing machine without the disadvantage of the problem ofreturning empty dish racks repeatedly from the outlet end of the machineto the inlet end of the machine for refilling.

Another object of my invention is to provide upwardly extending rackmembers on a link conveyor belt for a dish washing machine which may bedisposed on present link belts without any change in the basic design ofthe belt.

7 Another object of my invention is to provide a dish washing machinebelt for holding plates, trays, etc. on edge which also permits the useof conventional dish racks for dishes, silverware, etc.

Other objects of my invention will become evident from the followingdetailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic sideelevational view of my novel link conveying belt for a dish washingmachine;

Fig. 2 is a. fragmentary top plan view of my novel link conveying belt;and

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, I show in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 spaced,transversely extending rods I linked together by apertured, arcuateshaped, comparatively soft dish carrying links 2 and end links Ill. Thelinks 2 are transversely spaced by non-metallic tubular spacing members3 on the rods I. L-shaped links 5 have apertures 6 for receiving andconnecting the rods l. The links 5 are disposed adjacent the ends of therods I and intermediate thereof. Fastening members 'I hold the links H3on the rods i. Tubular metallic spacing members 8 are disposed betweenthe end links it] and the outer L-shaped links 5 for engaging sprockets9. The L-shaped links 5 are all alike and they have vertically spacedapertures II for receiving transversely extending horizontal bars [3,one end of each bar l3'having a head l4 and the opposite end 15 thereofbeing threaded to receive a nut I6. Comparatively soft, tubular spacingmembers ll of plastic or the like surround the bars 13 intermediate thelinks 5 to space thelinks 5 and to prevent chipping of plates and thelike. The back bottom edges I8 of the L-shaped links 5 are cut away tominimize contact between a link 5 an t e bottom of a dish or tray.Ordinarily the bottom of a dish or tray engages the comparatively softspacing members H on the bottom bar I3 carried by the L-shaped links andthe upper portion of the dish or tray engages the next succeedingspacing members i! on an upper bar 13.

My link conveying belt is in the form of an endless belt and takes onthe appearance and.

form of an endless dish rack on the top side thereof. No change in thebasic structureof the present link conveying belt isnecessary in thatthe lower portion of my L-shaped links 5 is substantially the same shapeand construction as the other links 2 in the belt, The horizontalsupport bars 13 are very strongand rigid in construction and no breakagethereof results under ordinary operating conditions. of the vertical pegtype of dowel which is usually made of wood or plastic and it is easilyfrayed and damaged. I obtain a comparatively rigid con-- struction bypulling up the ends of the steel bars l3 passing through the aperturesii in the i..- shaped'l'inks 5 with the links 5' firmly engaging theends of the spacingmembers ll.

The comparatively soft spacing members H on my horizontal supportingbars It; minimize the marking of dishes from contact with metal inasmuchas the only probable contact will be with the center L-shaped link 5,the only other contact being with the horizontal, comparatively softtubular members I7 and the'comparatively soft links 2. It will beevident that water-may readily be sprayed from thebottom of the belt inthat obstruction to the flow of water is minimized. The carryover ofwash water'to the rinse tank This is not true 4 embodiment of myinvention without departing from the spirit thereof or from the scope ofthe appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A traveling link belt comprising a series of longitudinally spaced,transversely extending rods, spaced apertured links for connecting saidrods together, L-shaped links on the ends of said rods and intermediatethereof having vertically spaced apertures in the upwardly extendingportions thereoi, vertically spaced, horizontal supis likewise minimizedbecause of, the upright position of the trays, plates, and the like onthe belt passing through the machine. Maximum drainage of water from theplates, trays, etc; with the use of my novel conveyor in a minimum oftime greatly accelerates the time of drying of the plates, trays, etc.

In operating my novel combined conveying and dish supporting linkconveying belt, it is merely necessary to place the dishes or trays in avertical position on the belt with the bottoms thereof engaging thebottom spacing members i! on a bottom bar It and the upper part of thetray or dish engaging the next succeeding top spacing members l'i on anupper support bar it. The dishes or trays move along with the beltthrough the machine where they are subjected to a washing action fromabove and below and a rinsing action from above and below after whichthey are removed from the belt on an extension of it beyond the exit endof the machine. A conventional dish rack 26 as shown in Fig.1 for smalldishes or for silverware and the like may be utilized with my novel beltby merely resting the rack on the top bars l3.

It will be evident frornthe foregoing description that I have provided anovel conveyor belt of the link type for supporting dishes, trays, andthe like on edge in a vertical position while they are subjected to thewashing and rinsing action of a dish washing machine which has noveldish and tray supporting members which are rigid in construction andcause a minimum amount of damage and breakage, which will accommodate aconventional dish rack, which. has a minimum exposed area of metal tocontact trays or dishes or the like, and one in which all of the basicdesign and construction of previous link type belts may be utilized. V I7 v Various changes may be made in the specific longitudinallyportingbars extending through the apertures in the upwardly extendingportions of said L-shaped links, comparatively soft tubular spacingmembersdisposed around said bars and between said upper. portions ofsaid links, and means for connecting said L-shaped links to said rodsand bars, saidhorizontalbars being adaptedtoconvey flat ware. in asubstantially verticalor' in a fiat position, the lower portion of theware engaging the lower of said bars and the upperxportionthereofengaging the upper bar oi" the next succeeding set of' bars when.vertically disposed.

2. A traveling link belt comprising a series of longitudinally spaced,transversely extending rods, laterally spaced links connecting saidrods, L-shaped links having the lower leg thereof connecting said rodsat the ends and at a point intermediate thereof, transversely extending,vertically spaced supporting, bars spaced upwardly from said rodsconnecting the upper legs of said L-shaped' links, and means forconnecting said bars, rods, and links together, said horizontal barsbeing spaced longitudinallya predetermined distance whereby flat ware iscarried thereby ina substantially vertical position with the lower sideportion of the ware engaging the lower bar a of one set of bars and theupper. opposite: side portion of the, wareengagingthe upper bar of thenext succeeding set of bars, said upper bars also being adapted to carrya conventional dish rack or fiat ware in a horizontal position.

3. In combination with a traveling link belt, spaced, transverselyextending rods,. link members connecting said rods together, tubularspacing members on said rods ,for spacing said link members laterally,longitudinally and transversely spaced L-shaped links connecting saidrods having a portion thereof extending upwardly substantiallyvertically from said belt, and transversely extending, horizontalsupporting bars spaced abovesaid link members connecting the upperportion of said L-shaped links for carrying dish racks and forsupporting plates, trays, and the like, in a substantially verticalposition, said. plates, trays,v and the like having the bottom portionsthereof engaging the lower portions of said horizontal supporting barsand the upper portions thereof engaging the upperportion of theimmediately adjacent horizontal bar.

PATRICK HENRY DAVIS.

References Cited in the fil'e of this patent UNITED, STATES PATENTSOTHER REFERENCES Cambridge Conveyor Belts, copyright 1941. model No. 515on page

